duncan228
07-08-2008, 02:49 PM
This is from the August 2008 issue of Slam magazine. It was written after the Hornets series and included as a side bar in a Chris Paul article. It's a nice piece on Duncan. :)
Forever And Ever
Lang Whitaker
We have dedicated these pages to both the impressive development and latter-day dominance of Chris Paul. Yet after being a step faster than everyone he faced all season, CP3 finally slowed in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs. Knowing Paul, the unpleasant taste left by the Game 7 loss will rot in his stomach all summer and he’ll return next season even more vicious. But that’s next season.
As for this season, the Spurs and Hornets made for improbable opponents in the second round. Although the Spurs won the Championship just one year ago, they met mortality this season, finishing behind the upstart Hornets and being eclipsed by their buzz. For a minute there, it looked as though the NBA as we know it was screeching to a halt. While the Spurs have been unappealing to the casual fan over the last decade, they’ve also been the best franchise in professional sports, at least in terms of front office constancy and, most importantly, winning consistently.
But following a season that will be associated with the meteoric emergence of Paul, the Spurs still might end up with the rings on their fingers. And though the Spurs preach team play, their continued relevance is mostly because of one man (or half-man, half-robot): Tim Duncan.
It’s easy to recognize the physical gifts of Kobe Bryant, the spirit of Kevin Garnett and the sheer power of Chauncey Billups, but Tim Duncan’s contributions are rarely as obvious. He is never the tallest or strongest player on the floor. And yet he is almost always the best. Double-team him and he will coolly take on the second defender and then pass over the top to a perfectly-spaced, wide-open teammate. Single-cover him and he will back you down, spin whichever direction you aren’t anticipating and bank a shot in off the glass. And draw the foul. (And if the foul is not called, he will gesticulate wildly.)
Most NBA superstars play with a subtext of danger they carry like a concealed switchblade, bringing an element of mortality to the proceedings-if LeBron gets hot, he can single-handedly win a game. Duncan doesn’t so much pack a switchblade as he carries a low-powered taser; he doesn’t seem concerned so much with slaying his competition as he does temporarily disabling them long enough to score, then helping them back to their feet before stopping them on defense.
Duncan’s Creole counterpart, the Hornets power forward David West, made his first All-Star team this season and had his moments against the Spurs, most notably a 38-point, 14-rebound performance in Game 5. But after tweaking his back in Game 6, West’s 20 and 9 in Game 7 weren’t enough to keep the Hornets from going fishing. Together with Tyson Chandler, Paul and West created a Bayou Trinity, a combination capable of carrying a franchise for another decade.
Age usually sneaks up on elite athletes, suddenly informing our heroes that they’re no longer indestructible. The Spurs found their power triangle years ago-teaming Duncan with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili-and in the weeks ahead, Ginobili will turn 31 and Bruce Bowen will hit 37, while Robert Horry and Michael Finley are already falling off. Duncan recently ticked past 32, but with his ground-bound game and impeccable mental approach, TD will probably remain dominate for at least another five seasons. He may not always be appointment viewing for the casual fan, but watching him will remain a sublime pleasure for basketball purists who view basketball as something spiritual. For us, for now, Duncan remains our high priest.
While Parker and Ginobili are each capable of going for 40 during 40 games in 40 nights, it’s Duncan’s dependency and resiliency that sharpen these Spurs. Even though Duncan finished Game 7 against New Orleans with just 16 points and 14 rebounds, the Spurs ran almost every second-half possession through him, effectively putting their season in his hands.
And we already know how that turned out. This dude abides.
Forever And Ever
Lang Whitaker
We have dedicated these pages to both the impressive development and latter-day dominance of Chris Paul. Yet after being a step faster than everyone he faced all season, CP3 finally slowed in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs. Knowing Paul, the unpleasant taste left by the Game 7 loss will rot in his stomach all summer and he’ll return next season even more vicious. But that’s next season.
As for this season, the Spurs and Hornets made for improbable opponents in the second round. Although the Spurs won the Championship just one year ago, they met mortality this season, finishing behind the upstart Hornets and being eclipsed by their buzz. For a minute there, it looked as though the NBA as we know it was screeching to a halt. While the Spurs have been unappealing to the casual fan over the last decade, they’ve also been the best franchise in professional sports, at least in terms of front office constancy and, most importantly, winning consistently.
But following a season that will be associated with the meteoric emergence of Paul, the Spurs still might end up with the rings on their fingers. And though the Spurs preach team play, their continued relevance is mostly because of one man (or half-man, half-robot): Tim Duncan.
It’s easy to recognize the physical gifts of Kobe Bryant, the spirit of Kevin Garnett and the sheer power of Chauncey Billups, but Tim Duncan’s contributions are rarely as obvious. He is never the tallest or strongest player on the floor. And yet he is almost always the best. Double-team him and he will coolly take on the second defender and then pass over the top to a perfectly-spaced, wide-open teammate. Single-cover him and he will back you down, spin whichever direction you aren’t anticipating and bank a shot in off the glass. And draw the foul. (And if the foul is not called, he will gesticulate wildly.)
Most NBA superstars play with a subtext of danger they carry like a concealed switchblade, bringing an element of mortality to the proceedings-if LeBron gets hot, he can single-handedly win a game. Duncan doesn’t so much pack a switchblade as he carries a low-powered taser; he doesn’t seem concerned so much with slaying his competition as he does temporarily disabling them long enough to score, then helping them back to their feet before stopping them on defense.
Duncan’s Creole counterpart, the Hornets power forward David West, made his first All-Star team this season and had his moments against the Spurs, most notably a 38-point, 14-rebound performance in Game 5. But after tweaking his back in Game 6, West’s 20 and 9 in Game 7 weren’t enough to keep the Hornets from going fishing. Together with Tyson Chandler, Paul and West created a Bayou Trinity, a combination capable of carrying a franchise for another decade.
Age usually sneaks up on elite athletes, suddenly informing our heroes that they’re no longer indestructible. The Spurs found their power triangle years ago-teaming Duncan with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili-and in the weeks ahead, Ginobili will turn 31 and Bruce Bowen will hit 37, while Robert Horry and Michael Finley are already falling off. Duncan recently ticked past 32, but with his ground-bound game and impeccable mental approach, TD will probably remain dominate for at least another five seasons. He may not always be appointment viewing for the casual fan, but watching him will remain a sublime pleasure for basketball purists who view basketball as something spiritual. For us, for now, Duncan remains our high priest.
While Parker and Ginobili are each capable of going for 40 during 40 games in 40 nights, it’s Duncan’s dependency and resiliency that sharpen these Spurs. Even though Duncan finished Game 7 against New Orleans with just 16 points and 14 rebounds, the Spurs ran almost every second-half possession through him, effectively putting their season in his hands.
And we already know how that turned out. This dude abides.